occupy.here workshop with Dan Phiffer

Occupy.here is a tiny wifi darknet designed to be replicated. Using commodity hardware, open source software, and a bit of networking trickery, you can build your own backpack-friendly OCCUPY.HERE instance to communicate, sans-Internet, with your friends and neighbors. This workshop, for beginners and the technically savvy alike, explores the possibilities of wifi-enabled virtual public spaces for strangers to anonymously share data and bust out of social media filter bubbles.

The project is still in development, and I’m looking to conduct some collaborative R&D with geeky activists and activisty geeks. If you don’t identify with either of those terms, I’d still like to hear about what other uses you have in mind. Join me on Governor’s Island and help the project take its next steps! Bring a laptop. Hardware can be purchased in advance at cost. There will also be an variety of commodity wifi hardware to try out, if you don’t want to buy a new router.